320i E46 Red

320i E46 Red, the red of a German sedan of the turn of the millennium

The E46 designation is the internal code of the generation that most modelers associate with the sedans and coupes of the turn of the millennium. The red paints of this era are deeper and richer than the period shades of older cars, and without a shift toward orange.

The subject of the shade

The E46 generation went into production at the end of the 1990s and stayed in the range roughly until the middle of the next decade. The 320i version stood in the middle of the range, with a two-liter inline engine and the classic layout of rear-wheel drive. Besides the sedan there were also coupes, station wagons and an open version, so in terms of shape it is one of the most widespread German bodies of that time. Cars of this generation also appeared in touring car racing and in tuning conversions, so the same shade will serve on a civilian and on a modified form alike.

Where you will use the shade

• bodies of European sedans and coupes of the turn of the millennium
• models in tuning form with body accessories
• cars for road and urban dioramas
• small items where red is meant to look modern and deep

Who the color is for

It is for builders of civilian European cars and of tuning forms who need a red without a historic patina. With the higher engines of this generation, four-wheel drive was offered alongside rear-wheel drive, but in terms of shape the bodies are the same. The shade is not tied to a particular factory paint code, and because several red paints were offered with this generation, take it as a representative tone rather than as an assignment to one code.